What: Block Island Sound with Smirnoff vodka, olive brine, cherry tomatoes, simple syrup, and Sriracha
Where: All Set Restaurant & Bar, 8630 Fenton St., Silver Spring, MD; (301) 495-8800; allsetrestaurant.com
Price: $10
What You Should Be Drinking: Beverage director Molly Horn’s drink is a reference to the narrow New England strait separating Block Island from Rhode Island mentioned in Billy Joel’s downtrodden fishing industry song, “The Downeaster Alexa,” because it’s a skinnier version of a Bloody Mary. She takes the typically discarded juice of a jar of Santa Barbara olives and mixes it with Smirnoff vodka, muddled cherry tomatoes, lemon, simple syrup, and Sriracha. “The combination of salt and tart can often be that one missing ingredient,” Horn says.
Why You Should Be Drinking It: It kind of looks like a watered down Bloody Mary, keeping purists at bay, but the cocktail actually has way more flavor than its translucent appearance lets on. Cherry tomatoes are zippier and more acidic than their larger counterparts, and briny olive juice lends an addictively savory flavor—translating to a drink that’s lighter-bodied and more playful than a big ol’ glass of thick tomato juice and horseradish. It’s easy to throw back several during a lazy Sunday afternoon spent diving into the restaurant’s fried chicken served with a Sriracha cheddar biscuit and maple sausage gravy.